Richard Birch fancies prolific scorer to strike again at Clonmel

Bachasson
4.00 Clonmel
1pt win

It’s difficult to find a reason why Bachasson, who has an eyecatching 50 per cent strike-rate from 20 starts under rules, won’t increase that to 52 per cent in the Download The BoyleSports App Chase (4.00) at Clonmel.

Willie Mullins has landed this 2m4f contest for the last two years with Acapella Bourgeois (2019) and Koshari (2018), and Bachasson boasts first-rate claims of registering the hat-trick.

Although the nine-year-old has landed three of his six races over fences, the conditions of this contest allow him to receive 6lb from Discordantly and Mortal since his last chase success came in January 2018, well before the April 29 marker for penalties to be implemented.

While Bachasson has been competing principally over hurdles since it’s perfectly plausible the return to fences will see him take another step forward in terms of recent form.

The grey contested the 2018 Cheltenham Gold Cup on his last start in that discipline, which came on the back of three deep-ground victories at Gowran, Thurles and Tramore.

He jumped beautifully when slamming A Toi Phil by 13 lengths at Tramore, after which he was given an official rating of 159.

If he could run to anywhere near that mark this would almost rate a penalty kick and, following a spell on the sidelines, his two runs this year – most recently when sixth behind Dame De Compagnie in the Coral Cup a fortnight ago – suggest he retains plenty of ability.

The 150-rated Death Duty is another favoured by the race conditions. He also boasted an official mark of 159 in December 2017, but subsequently spent over two years on the sidelines prior to his comeback in January.

Gordon Elliott’s runner held every chance at Cheltenham in the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate after jumping two out, before weakening to finish tenth behind Simply The Betts. He looked to have a hard race that day.

The six-year-old Discordantly powered away from Montagne D’Argent to justify odds-on favouritism when scoring by six and a half lengths at Gowran this month.

As a result, he must concede 6lb to Bachasson, and would be meeting him on far more attractive terms in a handicap.

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